42 The Palace Paladin

"Calm down, your highness. As long as the warriors are here, there's nothing to worry about", Lord Callaghan assured the frightened Queen. Isavelle sat down on the divan as she feel her knees weaken from trembling in fear.

"I heard you were with a Paladin?", the King asked.

"Yes Father, his name is Haelan. Though, he do not prefer to be called a Paladin, yet.", Prince Galen answered. The King creased his brows trying to recall the unfamiliar name of a warrior that his son personally recognize by calling his name.

"Haelan, my King. Flecks of green?", Lord Harlan said as he gave out a clue about Haelan.

"Oh! How could I forget", King Silvius said. "What kind of Paladin is he?", he asked.

"He drew a sword, Father. Very similar to Evandrus, only stronger", Galen answered. The King grunted as he keep a straight face, then he stared at the lords who doesn't seem to move a muscle.

"I have a bad feeling about this", Lord Harlan whispered to Callaghan.

"Father, I would like to make a proposal. I would like to have a Paladin who'd stand by my side", Galen said. "Haelan may be new but I'm sure he have all that it takes to be my…", he didn't even finished what he was trying to say when the King interrupted.

"I have heard enough. You may go back to your chambers Galen. Take your mother with you", King Silvius told his son as he ignore his request.

"But Father", Galen objected yet his father have already turned his back facing the window. With not much of a choice, Galen and his mother left the room without further argument.

"Call Evandrus this instant", King Silvius ordered the servants nearby.

In the courtyard, Stellan discerned and studied the ground where the attack took place. He checked the garden fountains and the palace gazebo which was smashed to smithereens due to several powerful blows of the mindless mystic healer, leaving its renowned acridly scented dusts. Where half of the most beautiful rose bushes in the courtyard withered, the mystic healer's presence brought nothing but death. Hearing that Haelan survived a blow from a notorious terminator, it made him realize that Haelan indeed is a high-powered Paladin. The last time Stellan encountered one, he got cursed and even sent Galen to his death sentence - a tiny warrior who somewhat just had a scratch compared to two fully grown men who almost lost their fragile lives.

After this attack, he could only conclude that the mystic healers are after the sole heir to the throne, Prince Galen. As he move along, Stellan creased his brows at the immensely wet ground. Thinking that the water which drenched the courtyard have come from the fountain, he wondered how could it splash away in quite a measure. There were also swirls on the dirt and scattered leaves, branches and petals that depicted movements of rapid winds, something that is certainly dissimilar from when he was attacked by a soulless mystic healer.

Something new.

"Haelan woke up Galen.", Stellan contemplated his thoughts into words. "From then, Galen have had that fondness towards him. He even specifically looked for Haelan in the courtyard… What did he saw in Haelan?", Stellan inclined his interests on the extent of what Galen possibly knew at the moment.

After being completely buried in his own heuristic theories, he decided to see Haelan in the infirmary. Separated with the other Paladin, he suspects that Alesso could already be with Haelan. On his way to the palace, he walked from casual steps to big strides. "Alesso is with Haelan", he anxiously said as he hardened his jaw.

It took him a while to open the infirmary door. To his surprise, he saw no one. When he turned around, he was disrupted by a servant standing nearby. "Sir Stellan, the King would like to see you in the receiving hall", the servant said.

"Find Haelan for me", Stellan said and hurriedly made his way to see the King. As he enter the room, he could already hear the voice of the King in an indignant roar.

"You knew all along? How could this not be reported to me?", the King yelled in disappointment after not knowing about Haelan.

"No, we never knew, my King", Lord Callaghan denied the allegations. "We had so little time to figure it out", he added.

"You expect me to believe that?", King Silvius continued to raise his voice to the lords who are older than him.

"We had the intuition, King Silvius. However, a Paladin cannot be fully recognized unless he was properly appraised.", Lord Harlan attested. "Didn't we just had the admission tests? Haelan, amongst the many other squires were under training in barely one full day. We narrowly saw his abilities. He simply passed the test and entered Brandenburg like everyone else", he said truthfully.

"We can't base our decision in our intuitions. We have to see in our own eyes that Haelan is indeed a Paladin, just like in the rumors.", Lord Callaghan added.

"What do you think about.. this Haelan, Evandrus?", the King asked his Paladin Knight.

"It's unexpected, your highness", Stellan answered.

"How was his tests?", the King started to calm down realizing that the admission of squires and ascension to immediate proclamation was indeed swifter than usual.

"He was exceptional and notable, yet.. he was usually the last to finish the tasks. Not the best of the batch, but memorable", Lord Harlan said.

"And the training?", the king asked Stellan who's kept mum all the while.

"Great footwork, my King. But poor swordplay.", Stellan answered briefly. "I'm surprised Haelan was able to drew a sword for Galen", he added as he remember the look on Haelan's face when he held a blade.

"You say he picked out a sword from the chest?", the King asked as he massage his temples. "Did he really?", he tried to confirm.

"Yes", Lord Harlan said. "A sword", he said as he stood by his little white lie.

"Lord Harlan", Lord Callaghan whispered to Lord Harlan as notice he's withdrawing the truth from the King.

"Leave it", Lord Harlan answered in a lowly response.

"Galen claimed that Haelan's powers exceeds Evandrus'. That is not questionable because Haelan indeed successfully survived the attack, saved Galen in the process and even vanquished a notorious mystic healer. Something that Evandrus failed to do", King Silvius said as she sat down on the leather seat near him. Stellan hardened his hand into a fist as the King look down on him. "Evandrus, I'm giving you five days to find out the extent of this warrior's powers, train him if you must. Then bring him to me to become a Palace Paladin", he ordered Stellan.

"My king, Lord Callaghan would be more fit to conduct the training", Stellan insisted for Lord Callaghan give the most ideal, engaging, and challenging tasks for warriors. "Besides, five days isn't very generous", Stellan said knowing that it takes months for a Paladin to master his skills. The lords smirked at the King's rushed appeal.

"Also, I want all my Paladins to learn from Haelan at the same time.", he said as he ignore Stellan's objection.

"Did you say learn from Haelan, King Silvius?", Stellan asked as he furrowed his brows.

"I want the Paladins to acquire the skill that this warrior has, for he was able to kill a mystic healer. It would be beneficial for all of us that the best warriors will directly learn from him.", the King said as he plan ahead for Haelan's part in the palace's batallion. He fidgets with his fingers as he harden his jaw in his decisions. "You're dismissed, Evandrus", he uttered.

The lords nodded to Stellan who seemed very reluctant with the King's decisions. "If.. if that's what you wish, my King", Stellan said as he leave the room.

"If I may suggest, your Highness, have Haelan stay in Brandenburg so I can personally assist in his training.", Harlan suggested as he wanted to see much more of Haelan. In actual, Harlan trained most of the promising warriors in Nether.

"Brandenburg or Hesam, wherever", the King immediately gave his consent with no doubt at all. The King exhaled sharply and tightened his lips.

"You look worried, my King", Lord Callaghan said "Aren't we supposed to be celebrating? We gained another Paladin", he said.

"Eyes like Tris, abilities like a Paladin.", the King said with a broad frown. "I couldn't be more thrilled", he hardened his face as he feel tightness on his chest.

The lords could feel the King's tension and anxiousness about Haelan, the Paladin who have grey eyes with flecks of green. At the moment, the King prefer to prepare Haelan to become the King's greatest warrior, and keep him close as the Palace Paladin, probably, to keep on eye on the Haelan.

Harlan couldn't be more concerned, especially with the fact that he have concealed the truth about Haelan. Originally, he planned to see more of Haelan's training in Brandenburg for he knew there's power hidden within that warrior. And in five critical days, he wondered if he could conclude his assumptions, erase his worries and unravel the true power of Haelan.